Parshat Vayikra/trehu ,arp

(24th Parsha of the Torah )

By Avraham Yehuda Tzvi Shmaryahu David, 5th generation from Yehuda Tzvi of
Strettyn. Numerical Interpretation of Torah with aid of Gematria. Questions/Comments
416-628-7277 . online at www.codeoftheheart.com ©2008 Dvar Torah 5768
Study Gematria and Sharpen your Mind

Sacrifice & Prayers to G-d

We are now starting the third book of the Torah of Moses, known in Hebrew as trehu
Vayikra , or in the English vernacular, Leviticus. After finishing the building of the
Mishkan in the Book of Exodus, we now proceed to read and study the laws of sacrifices
to God and the pursuit of holiness. The end result of a sacrifice is either it gets wholly
consumed by the fire or the left overs are eaten by the priests or common people,
depending on the type of sacrifice. The closest object that I can think of that resembles
the jczn Mizbeach that sacrifices were placed upon is the barbeque grill that we will soon
find for sale at local supermarkets and hardware stores. We all can smell & savor the
delicious summer barbeques. In a layman’s understanding we can see that something as
mundane as the Sunday barbeque can be turned into holiness.

The Torah says van kt trehu , “He called to Moses” (Leviticus 1:1.) Commentators
abound as to why there is a small alef. Some say it refers to Moses’s humility. Yosef
Yitzchak Holtzberg says it refers to uvhkt, Eliyahu. I say it refers to ost Adam, the first
man, who is mentioned in the second sentence and who Rashi interprets that we must not
make a sacrifice from anything stolen. Adam is also mentioned based on the definition.
Adam means earth which is comprised of dust and when a sacrifice is wholly consumed
by fire , it is reduced to ashes and dust. Think of it, God does not need anything from us.
He is Omnipotent and Omniscient. We are in constant need. The need to breathe, the
need to eat, the need have to shelter, the need to sleep and the desire to acquire things.

Sacrifices brings us to the realization that we are nothing but dust and ashes, like our
Patriarch Abraham said. Perhaps that is why prayer has replaced sacrifices since the
destruction of the Temple because all that we can really offer God is a special thanks for
creating and taking care of us and no one put it in better words and terms than the author
of Psalms, who was King David who wrote with Ruach Hakodesh or the Holy Spirit.

The top news story of the week was the resignation of Eliot Spitzer, the governor of NY
on March 12, 2008 based on his immoral behavior. My uncle Sholom pointed out to me
that we can find a reference to this story in the Torah where it says, “ When a ruler
sins and he does one from among all the commandments of Hashem, his God, that may
not be done, unintentionally , and he is guilty…”(Leviticus 4:22).

On a final note the phrase, van kt t rehu , the last three letters spells, vkt, eilah,
meaning these are… This is also the first word of Deuteronomy. This teaches us that if
we follow God’s commandments we will have double blessings as the Gematria of eilah
is 36.

A refuah shlaima to my father Yaakov Zev Ben Malka Blima, who is recovering from stroke at Vanderbilt
Nursing Home, SI, NY

GGood Shabbos ouka ,ca